(December 2008)  Next spring, growers that plant newly released CROPLAN GENETICS® corn hybrids will receive the added benefit of Advance Coating Zinc at no added cost. The micronutrient seed treatment has been tested in the Answer Plot® testing program and on university and farm strip trials for the past three years with very good results.

"CROPLAN GENETICS® seed is the only brand offering the zinc-coated seed because the technology is proprietary to Winfield Solutions," explains Eric Bartels, AgriSolutions™ and CROPLAN GENETICS® brand regional product manager. "In a tough pricing environment, this will add extra value to CROPLAN GENETICS® seed without hitting your pocketbook."

In the 2007 Answer Plot® seed treatment studies, Advance Coating Zinc added 1 bu/acre more on all comparisons. However, when looking at the plots that had a response to zinc, Advance Coating Zinc added 8 extra bu/acre. A yield response of 8 bushels per acre is often comparable to the average corn borer Bt or CRW Bt trait response in the Answer Plot® sites.

Similar studies were conducted at the University of Minnesota in 2005, which concluded a 7 bu/acre yield response on a high zinc testing soil, and a North Dakota State University study in 2007 added 11 bu/acre yield. Along with yield benefits, Advance Coating Zinc has shown early season growth responses in better root and top growth. Cool, early growing conditions can lead to slow root growth, which limits the corn plant in finding enough zinc for early season growth and development.

"Visual early season zinc deficiencies have also been reduced with Advance Coating Zinc," Bartels adds. "While it doesn't eliminate the need for a good zinc nutrient program such as 10 percent zinc, zinc sulfate or MAX-IN® ZMB™, it can be a good supplement."

Zinc responses have been documented across many different soils and hybrids in the past couple of years. Zinc is essential in auxin production and the transformation of carbohydrates in plants. One of the most important functions of zinc in the corn plant is that it's a vital part of the enzyme system that regulates plant growth. A corn plant early in its life has a lot of cell reproduction and cell differentiation and has a big demand for zinc. If a portion of the plant's zinc needs is placed on the seed so a plant can utilize it early when the zinc demand is great, it can lead to better early season vigor and better root development.

Advance Coating Zinc can deliver the early season zinc a plant needs to help in early season vigor and establish a corn plant to produce the top-end yield every grower is looking for. While the seed treatment will be limited mostly to newly released hybrids in 2009, it may be available on additional hybrids, so consult with your local CROPLAN GENETICS® seed specialist when selecting your hybrids for next year.